Question: How and why do people get this disease?
Answer: Reflux is most commonly caused by a weakened valve at the lower esophagus called the lower esophageal sphincter. Other causes may be related to abnormalities of how the esophagus moves or delayed gastric emptying. Obesity is a common cause of reflux symptoms. Other causes include caffeine and red wine, and some medications will reduce the pressure of the lower esophageal sphincter resulting in reflux.

Question: What are the symptoms of reflux?
Answer: Common symptoms include heartburn, regurgitation, chest pain and a bitter taste in the back of the throat. Many patients are not able to lie down without having reflux or regurgitation. Difficulty swallowing may be seen in patients that develop either a stricture or narrowing of their esophagus from reflux or those that have developed a hiatal hernia.

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So to solve the nighttime we have to realize that the problem roots from eating too much at dinner time. As mentioned above, eating a big meal at dinner causes excess stomach acid production. Drinking milk could be a quick fix to heartburn. Unfortunately, milk has a rebound action and would eventually encourage secretion of more stomach acid, which causes the reflux. To solve the problem, try eating a small meal at dinner and have a small snack such as crackers before sleep.

For more tips, please click before

You can easily get rid of heartburn if you control the types of foods you eat every day. Most of the diseases inside our body comes from what we eat and how our lifestyle.

Here are foods that help heartburn you must know:

1. Non-citrus fruits like apples, bananas and grapes.

These fruits are low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. Besides, it contains a lot of vitamin C and fiber.

2. Meats like turkey and skinless chicken breasts.

Turkey can help to lower cholesterol levels in the blood; meanwhile skinless chicken is a low-fat source of protein.

3. Oatmeal.

Especially when it is combined with skim milk, you will get enough calcium that your body need.

4. A variety of foods that contain high fiber:

- Vegetables like broccoli, cabbage and carrots

- Grain

Fiber is needed by our body to easily digest and process foods that we eat every day.

Not only foods, you also need enough fluids like mineral water to support you body to absorb important nutrients from foods that you eat every day. When cooking, remember to use low-fat methods.

You should realize there are foods that cause heartburn, too. The most common is the orange. In fact, all the citrus fruits fall into this category. Next on our list are the coffee, teas, all types of aerated beverages, as well as alcoholic drinks. Chocolate and oil are also counted among the foods that cause heartburn.

Change your lifestyle to a healthy lifestyle is also very good. Avoid irregular meals, extra spicy food, deep fries and junk foods like burgers, pizza.

Now, you already know what kind of foods that help heartburn and cause it. This is something you can control. Change your habit and your lifestyle. In case if this doesn’t work, immediately consult to your doctor.

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He was eventually diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia. He had become dehydrated, and his hemoglobin level was so low that he was given two transfusions of blood. Thinking that he had a severe internal bleed, doctors began testing with endoscopies everywhere, and he ended up with a nine-day stay at the hospital. Once released, he was put on iron supplements.

After finally speaking to one of the doctors at the hospital who took a real interest, he sorted through all the records and found my companion had been taking prescription acid-reflux medicine for about five years, medication that can inhibit iron from being absorbed. Bingo!

Since this has happened, we have heard from several of our neighbors, friends and acquaintances who have been on prescription acid-reflux medicine for a period of time and who have also been diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia. They, too, have had to endure long-term testing. Have you heard of this before? Or has the problem just popped up overnight?

Answer: Iron-deficiency anemia is a condition in which blood lacks adequate amounts of healthy red blood cells, the same cells that carry oxygen to the body’s tissues and provide energy. Without significant iron, the body cannot produce enough hemoglobin, a component in red blood cells that allows oxygenated blood to be carried throughout the body. The result is fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, poor appetite, irritability, a pale or ashen color to the skin and more.

The most common reasons for this condition are blood loss, a lack of iron in the diet and an inability to absorb iron. Afflictions such as Crohn’s or celiac disease affect the intestine’s ability to absorb nutrients from digested food. And some medications, such as those taken for combating excess stomach acid, are known to interfere with iron absorption. Thus, I’m quite surprised your partner’s primary-care physician, who prescribed the medication, was in the dark.

Diagnostic testing to identify possible underlying causes includes endoscopy, colonoscopy and ultrasound (for women). The endoscopy you refer to was to discover a possible bleed from an ulcer or hiatal hernia. A colonoscopy zeros in on possible bleeding from the colon. Ultrasound is ordered to rule out uterine fibroids or to identify other causes of heavy menstrual bleeding.

Unfortunately for your partner, he was late being diagnosed and his quality of life suffered dramatically. Fortunately, he finally found someone who took the time to get a complete history to include his medications and the physician made the connection. At long last, he is on the right track.

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“Everyone knows that blood pressure and cholesterol levels are related to obesity, but the strength of the relationship with GERD is every bit as strong or perhaps even stronger,” the authors of the study, Dr. Shahin Ayazi and Dr. Peter Crookes, told The Times. The study is published in this month’s issue of the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery.

As obesity rates have risen in the United States, so has GERD. One study suggested that GERD incidence increased 5% annually between 1992 and 2005. Almost 1 in 5 people have the disease. The volume and fat content of diet is linked to esophageal acid exposure as is high-calorie diets. The same dietary habits promote both obesity and GERD, the authors say.

The study was conducted by examining almost 2,000 patients with GERD over 10 years. Researchers measured the amount of acid in the esophagus and used a probe to check the strength of the valve in the lower esophagus that normally protects against acid reflux. They were able to relate those measurements to the height and weight of their patients.

The bad news about the study is that losing weight won’t necessarily help with GERD unless someone is in the early stages of GERD and has mild reflux.

“Heavier people have more reflux, and they have more damage to the lower esophageal sphincter,” the authors said. “If you don’t have a good sphincter, then you are likely to get worse reflux … The sphincter is a muscle and in most parts of the body, when the muscle is damaged, it does not return.”

Of course, there are treatments for GERD. But the strongest message from this study is one for obesity prevention.

– Shari Roan [Los Angeles Times]
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(Natural News) Prilosec, Nexium, Prevacid, Aciphex. These and a dozen more drugs known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have quickly become superstars of Big Pharma.

As recently reported by US News and World Report, last year people worldwide shelled out some $ 25.6 billion for these drugs that are supposed to alleviate heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Although hailed by most doctors as safe, reports have started cropping up that side effects may include everything from dizziness to osteoporosis, increased risk of heart attacks, pneumonia and more.

Now comes research that shows the drugs actually cause the symptoms they are supposed to treat. A new study just published in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute, found that taking a PPI drug for eight weeks induced acid-related symptoms including heartburn, acid regurgitation and dyspepsia in healthy individuals soon after they stopped taking the pills.

This is a serious matter. If you are on a long term heartburn medication, it is time to reconsider other holistic alternatives. Read more about Heartburn Remedies.

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Drinking carbonated beverages everyday can lead to more than just a bad case of heartburn. In fact, research is finding that frequent consumption of these beverages over time, can actually dramatically increase your risk of developing esophageal cancer.

Esophageal cancer was a disease that was non-existent two generations ago, now it’s becoming a common concern. Researchers in India discovered a link between the rise in carbonation consumption and esophageal cancer in America over the past two decades. They found that the average consumption of carbonated soft drinks sky rocketed from less than 11 gallons per year in the late 1940’s to nearly 50 gallons per year by 2000. They also found that since the 1980’s, esophageal cancer has increased by more than 565% among white American men.

Studies have concluded that soft drinks have a direct link to gastric distension, a condition that brings on reflux. It was found that the consumption of liquid from a single standard soda can cause acid levels to remain elevated in the stomach for more than 52 minutes. Thus, if a person were to drink one can of soda a day, for a year, that would add up to more than 32,000 minutes of the esophagus being exposed to elevated acid levels.

Furthermore, the lower esophagus has a much higher chance of being damaged by soft drink consumption than by other non-carbonated beverages. For instance, if you were to drink 8 oz. of a carbonated beverage, your stomach might distend to 16 oz., instead of only distending by 8 oz. when drinking the same amount of water.

The distending that carbonation causes to the stomach results in acid reflux. Recurring acid reflux dramatically increases the risk of developing esophageal cancer, and drinking carbonated beverages increases gastric pressure, which may lead to an increase in reflux.

How exactly does acid reflux and esophageal cancer result from drinking carbonated beverages? The following is a basic breakdown of what occurs:
• The carbonated beverage is ingested
• The carbonation induces a burp – otherwise known as acid reflux
• The burp goes up through the esophagus and carries acid with it
• Over time the carbonation causes mechanical damage to cells causing lesions. Mechanical cell damage increases the risk of cancer.
• Frequent drinking causes a radical increase in the mutation of cells and excessive level of free radicals which can eventually lead to cancer.

Carbonated beverages don’t only include soft drinks like cola, root-beer and ginger ale. Any beverage with carbonation can cause acid reflux. Other beverages that contain carbonation include:
• Soda water – regular or flavored water with carbonation
• Beer
• Champagne
• Fruit juice

To find out if a beverage is carbonated, “carbonated water” is usually listed in the ingredients.

If you suffer from frequent acid reflux or GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease), it’s a good idea to eliminate carbonated beverages from your diet altogether.

However, if you really enjoy drinking carbonated beverages, and aren’t ready to go cold turkey, here are some tips for you to keep in mind when it comes to limiting your carbon consumption:

• Take one sip at a time – Don’t gulp down your drinks as this encourages burping, making it more likely for the esophagus to become irritated.
• Limit your intake –Treat yourself to one drink once in a while; don’t make it apart of your daily diet.
• Buy bottles, not cans – If you purchase soft drinks, avoid buying cans and opt for a bottle instead. A bottle will allow you to control the amount you drink without making you feel obligated to finish the whole drink as you would with a can.

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Millions of people suffering from indigestion, gas, bloating, heartburn and acid reflux are addicted to antacids and have taken them for years.

Watch this video as Dr Whiting explains all about it.

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Q: I am a non-smoker and yet I have had a persistent cough since last year. I cough very badly, especially at night when I go to bed. My throat feels so itchy that I feel like I am choking myself. I can cough till tears run from my eyes or till I vomit.

Sometimes, even during in the day, I cough,too. I have consulted three GPs and was referred early this year to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist who said my cough is due to gastric reflux. I was given omeprazole to treat the reflux. Unfortunately, I do not feel any improvement. Is it safe to take omeprazole for a long period of time? I was asked to take one pill twice a day.

Should I see a gastroenterologist too?

A: Chronic cough is usually due to sinusitis, allergic conditions, hypersensitivity of the airways following an infection or gastric acid reflux or stomach acid reflux.

It is always necessary to check the nose and throat and this is best done with the use of an endoscope which is inserted via the nose to the throat area to view the lower throat and voice box areas. Typically, one can detect sinusitis with this method.

In your case, it appears that sinusitis was excluded. Hence the remaining possibilities would be allergic reactions possibly to food, or just hyper-reactivity of the airways following an infection.

The hyper-reactivity may go on for several weeks or even several months. During this time, it should be treated symptomatically. This means that medicine is given to reduce the cough itself. It is much like when you have a headache and painkillers are given to reduce the pain. At the same time, reflux medication such as omeprazole is advised for use up to eight weeks.

If the cough persists, then it would be fair to test for food allergies.

There are three main causes of chronic cough: Lung problem, ENT diseases and the less well recognised and under diagnosed Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (Gerd), that is, reflux of acid from the stomach back to the oesophagus.

Acid causes either direct irritation of the airways or spasm of the airways from nerve reflex leading to coughs that typically worsen at night while one is sleeping.

Acid blocker is commonly prescribed to reduce acid reflux, thus reducing the cough. However, generic omeprazole is usually not strong enough to suppress acid effectively especially in GERD.

If symptoms persist despite completing a three- to four-week course of omeprazole, a stronger and more effective acid blocker will be needed.

Further evaluation by a gastroenterologist is recommended, as endoscopy or acidity tests should be done to assess the extent of GERD. Moderate to severe acid damage to the oesophagus may need a stronger and longer duration of acid suppression especially in patients with chronic cough.

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Hip Fracture

Recently, a new study indicates older patients may have to pass on the heartburn drugs to spare their bones from fractures .

According to a presentation at this year’s Digestive Disease Week 2009, even short-term use of popular acid-reducing heartburn drugs may raise the risk of hip fractures.

The increased risks appeared two years after patients started taking proton pump inhibitors such as Prevacid and histamine-2 receptor antagonists, or H2RAs, such as Zantac and Tagamet. Other proton pump inhibitors include popular brands such as Nexium, Prilosec, Protonix, and Aciphex.

The study suggests long-term use of proton pump inhibitors — for at least five years — may raise the risk of hip fractures.

Dr. Douglas Corley, who led the study, said in a statement, “The increased risk with short-term use of acid-suppressing drugs suggests that even relatively brief periods of use may be associated with increased risk of hip fractures.” Dr. Corley advises patients taking acid blockers to continue treatment at the lowest effective dose, but people at risk of osteoporosis should talk to their doctor about other treatment options.

For the study, Dr. Corley and colleagues analyzed data on nearly 40,000 patients taking acid-reducing drugs, and compared them to more than 130,000 patients not taking the drugs. People aged fifty to fifty-nine who had been on proton pump inhibitors for more than two years had the biggest increase in fracture risk with taking the drugs, they said.

The findings come as no surprise to bone expert Warren Levy, PhD, and CEO of Unigene Laboratories, who notes that there have been reports during the past few years suggesting that the use of certain proton pump inhibitors for more than five years to treat gastric reflux may be associated with increased fracture risk. Just last August, a Canadian study found that long-term use of proton pump inhibitors quadrupled the risk of a hip fractures.

“This new study suggests that such a link may begin earlier, even within two years. Some investigators have speculated previously that the association between PPI products and osteoporosis may result from poor absorption of calcium through the stomach,” says Dr. Levy.

According to Dr. Levy, since certain forms of calcium do not dissolve easily in the stomach, and acidic conditions can enhance the dissolution of calcium, it has been suggested that the reduction in stomach acid caused by PPI drugs may result in poor calcium absorption.

“Although more work needs to be done to confirm this finding, this study suggests that people with, or at risk for, osteoporosis should speak with their physicians regarding the use of PPI products even for shorter periods of time,” advises Dr. Levy, whose team is developing osteoporosis medications to prevent bone loss, promote bone growth and a surgical procedure, called Site-Directed Bone Growth (SDBG), that may help prevent and treat bone fractures. The SDBG technology, jointly invented in collaboration with Dr. Agnès Vignery at the Yale School of Medicine, is designed to facilitate and accelerate bone growth at precisely targeted locations in the body using a simple surgical procedure that can be performed on an outpatient basis with minimal invasiveness.

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